Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Fuck. I was talking to my boss while I was in bed.
I jumped to my feet and shoved my fingers through my hair, trying to tame what I knew to be the world’s worst bedhead. “Sir, about yesterday. I know there’s no way you can forgive my deplorable behavior. I—”
“Are you hungry?” Sebastian interrupted. He motioned to the table and the spread of food. The plate was even under a clichéd silver dome cover to keep the heat from escaping. “Carol makes the best breakfast. Her eggs are the fluffiest. She’s the reason I never eat breakfast outside of the house.”
My traitorous stomach growled even as it roiled with nausea and panic, and Sebastian’s smile widened in triumph. But there was no way I could sit and eat after last night.
“I can’t, sir. Please, allow me to apologize for getting drunk in your office. That behavior is so unacceptable. I—”
“It didn’t look like you drank that much. Did you eat at all yesterday? I know you didn’t have your usual bagel before our meeting. You were too busy gathering up what we needed and coordinating with the other departments.”
No. I hadn’t. I’d skipped breakfast, and then the thing with Mom had happened, keeping me busy through the afternoon and into the early evening. Then after the call with my brother’s doctor, my stomach had soured on the idea of food. I’d only wanted something to forget about my life.
“That’s what I thought.” Sebastian read my expression like the genius he was, and his expression grew grim for the first time since stepping into the bedroom. “You can’t go on like that. I’m not letting you do another thing until I see you eat something.”
“But, sir!” I pressed harder, trying desperately to get my apology and resignation out past the tightness in my throat. Why did he have to make this so hard by being so nice?
Sebastian ambled across the room and put his hand on my tense shoulder. “Byron, stop. I’m not letting you apologize, and if you’ve got it in your head to quit, you give that notion up too. Yesterday, you had a terrible day and because of that, you tried to numb some of the pain you were in. The only thing I want you to do is reassure me you won’t hurt your body like that again. You need to take better care of yourself.”
My mouth uselessly flopped open and closed for several seconds as my brain tried to catch up with what was happening. How could he just shrug this off? He’d caught me drunk in his office. I’d hung all over him, babbling like a fucking idiot. That had happened, hadn’t it?
“But didn’t I…” I swallowed hard and dropped my voice to a whisper. “Didn’t I kiss you?”
Sebastian’s handsome face morphed from one of worry to a devilish expression of pure glee. “So, you remember that?”
“Oh gawd,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. It really had happened. “Sir, I need to leave. Where are my clothes?” My words were muffled as I continued to hide behind my hands. Getting out of here was the only thing that was going to save me from dying on the spot from embarrassment.
“Um…your clothes. I had to send your suit out for dry cleaning.”
I lowered my hands and narrowed my gaze at him. “Because I spilled alcohol on my clothes?”
Sebastian remained silent as he winced. Horror slammed down on my head.
“I got sick?” Sebastian’s expression didn’t change. “Did I get sick on you?” Sebastian’s wince grew, and his head ducked to his shoulders.
A loud, gut-twisting moan left me. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor and curled up into a ball like a tiny gray pill bug. Not only had I gotten drunk in my boss’s office and kissed him, but to top it all off, I’d puked on him as well.
“Byron,” Sebastian said, and I swore I could hear laughter in his voice.
“Just leave me here to die,” I groaned into the thick, cream-colored carpet. “One bad day, and I’ve committed career suicide.”
“Byron.” Now he was definitely laughing. “It didn’t happen in the office, if that helps. I think the car ride upset your stomach. Most of it hit the lawn, and a little got on my shoes.”
“Don’t laugh at me. Just let me die here. You can toss my corpse out with the trash. Go eat my eggs, so your chef’s cooking doesn’t go to waste.”
Sebastian was still chuckling as he grabbed my biceps and helped me to my feet. “You’re not allowed to die. You had a very bad day, but you’re not allowed to die. I need you far too much to allow that to happen.”
“How are you not firing me?” I cried even as he ushered me to the table.